2014 Toyota 4Runner misses mileage marker
Unable to escape the confines of the urban maze, I had the opportunity this week to see what kind of mileage the 2014 4Runner Limited would achieve in city driving.
Predicting poor results because of the cold, which has meant an overabundance of idling, I wasn’t expecting a gold-medal performance. I also wasn’t trying to get on the good side of Elizabeth May during my daily, 20-kilometre commute. Throw in a few runs to the hockey rink for the oldest lad, a trip to the doctor’s office and a couple of jaunts to the grocery barn, and the week was pretty much typical for many urban dads.
Still, I was surprised to see the 4Runner crack the 18L/100 km ceiling. That, if you’ll excuse my French, is horrible — more in line with what a seductive V8 and twin turbos would score — and only slightly better than a full-sized pickup truck with a V8. The range to empty on a full 87-litre tank has consistently been only about 525 kilometres since the truck arrived in late December. This is about the same as what many 4Runner owners across North America owners report this time of year.
Those owners often gather around the watering hole known as the online forum T4R.org. So while the community discussed the 4Runner’s gasoline consumption, I was out running the 2014 Limited close to empty in an effort to squeeze out every last drop and to try to better my usual 525- km range. At just over the 475-km mark, I went as low as 15 kilometres of range remaining, but the 87-litre tank accepted only 80.5 litres at fill up, so it appears there’s a 75-100-km margin once the range hits zero.
I do like the fact the range will hit zero and not simply start blinking after it reaches 50 kilometres, like many range meters.
Officially, the fuel economy of the 4Runner is rated at 12.7 L/100 km city. Fifteen in the city is doable with a light foot on the 270 horsepower V6 and a five-speed transmission, so perhaps in summer the economy will be nearer the target and a range of 700 kilometres might be possible.
Should fuel economy be a priority, the 4Runner is not your truck — even if it’s not far off the economy of a Honda Pilot or Nissan Pathfinder.
The 4Runner is an ideal stand-in for a pickup, especially if you’re not towing heavy loads, or the bed of a truck isn’t required on a weekly basis.
And unlike a pickup, the 4Runner is easy to park and manoeuvre in an urban setting, and is low enough to fit in most parking garages. It still maintains a full frame and, in Limited trim like our long-term tester, is as luxurious as many top-line pickups that cost much more. Just don’t expect exceptional fuel economy in the city.